Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) 10 Business Day Service Standard

Introduction

LMIA applications remain the fastest way of hiring international skilled workers that are not listed under Nafta or on an International Experience Visa. For applications that meet the criteria, Service Canada has committed to processing the application within 10 business days.

Service Canada will not provide this 10 business day service standard for applications where any of the following factors are present:

When there is missing information, signatures or supporting documents

When additional time is required for Service Canada to consult with the employer on the application

When an employer is selected for an Employer Compliance Review

Eligibility for 10 Business Day Service Standard

The LMIA application must meet one or more of the following criteria:

The job must be in National Occupational Classification (NOC) 0, A and B

The job must be classified as being in “highest Demand”

The job is a skilled trade and appears on the list of eligible occupations, and1

The wage offered is at or above the provincial/territorial median hourly wage where the job is located2 (The general median wage for all jobs and also exceed the hourly median wage for the specific job)

The job must be classified as being within the top 10% of wages in the province/territory3

The job contract will not exceed 120 days and the wage offered is at or above the provincial/territorial median hourly wage where the job is located4

All LMIA criteria must be met and the employer must pay the $1000 per position, which is non-refundable.

LMIA 10 Day Business Standard Service can help speed up the international hiring process so its important to make sure the application is complete, and is presented in a concise and relevant format that enables Service Canada to process the application without requesting additional information and documents. For skilled critical roles that take over 5 years of experience and education the LMIA effort and cost is worth pursuing.